Heat by Jamie K. Schmidt Page A

them.
    “Clint, I need you now,” Angie said, wrapping her arm through his. She led him out of the room, flinging a triumphant smile at Mallory and Anya.
    “He takes orders well,” Anya said. “I kind of like that in a man.”
    “Yeah, but he likes women like Angie. She’s not very picky.”
    “Apparently, neither is he.” Anya shrugged. “Oh well. Are we still on for lunch?”
    “I’m dying for some pad Thai.”
    Max came up on them, frowning. “Yuck, all that oil and the peanut sauce will just slow you down. You’d be better off with sushi.”
    “I hate sushi,” Anya said. “Tastes like raw fish.” She blew them a kiss. “See you two kids later. I’ve got to get to my ‘Accessories Are for Everyone’ class.”
    When they were alone, Mallory blurted out, “I’m so, so sorry for last night. I was stupid and drunk and I behaved like a sorority freshman on her first bender.”
    Max locked the door and pulled the screens on the windows closed. “Don’t worry about it. You were fine. I’ve got a surprise for you.” Max pulled a large lollipop out of his gym bag. It was the size of a saucer, with rainbow swirls. He handed it to her.
    “You wouldn’t let me have a dinner roll, but you’re going to give me this?” Mallory took the candy with a bemused smile. While she was glad the shades stopped the happy sunbeams from invading her hangover, she was wondering why he’d locked the door. “What’s going on?”
    Max was fiddling with a projector in the back of the room. “What do you remember from last night?”
    “I had a lot to drink in a short amount of time. I remember groping you inappropriately.”
    Max looked up. “You never touched me inappropriately.”
    “Oh!” Mallory gasped. “That must’ve been in my head. Wait, I was rubbing myself all over you.”
    “You were actually trying to keep your balance.”
    “That’s worse,” she said. “I thought I was being seductive, but I was being pathetic.”
    “Do you like the ocean?” Max said.
    “Huh?”
    He flicked off the lights. “Remember the candy store?”
    “Oh.” She closed her eyes. “Now I do. This is really sweet. Literally. But what’s with the mood lighting?”
    “We’re going inside that candy shop.”
    Mallory’s heart started to hammer in her chest. Her hangover was forgotten as she looked at Max’s smiling face. “That’s a cheesy euphemism.”
    “Metaphor, and don’t blame me. That was your description.”
    “I was a little drunk.”
    The mirrors on the wall flipped over until they were showing a matte surface. He turned on the projector and the room brightened. The entire wall of his dojo became a projector screen and a beach scene appeared.
    “I can also do a roaring fire in a log cabin with snow falling down, or a penthouse overlooking a busy city.”
    “This is amazing,” she said. “It’s like I could jump right into the ocean.”
    Max stalked toward her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “It’s like you could jump out of your skin. Relax. This is going to be fun. Otherwise we’re not going to do it.”
    “Are we going to do it?”
    He laughed. “Slow down.”
    “I don’t want to slow down. I want to fly. I want more of the Hot Spot. It kinda frightened me but it also stirred me, especially all the leather and restraints.”
    “I can see that. You didn’t strike me as a BDSM girl.”
    “I might be willing to learn.”
    Max’s eyes sharpened as he looked at her. “Really?”
    “With the right teacher.”
    “I can be that teacher. I had in mind doing some relaxation and visualization techniques with you today, but I can modify them.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Maybe we can work you up to Inferno.”
    Mallory glanced around the room. They were all alone. The door was locked. She strained her ears but didn’t even hear the outside world. Her heartbeat sounded loud in her ears. Nerves made her bite her lip. This wasn’t her. Yet, Max was making it so easy to